This invention relates to securing protective attire commonly used in medical or industrial environments, and so forth, using a tie. More particularly, this invention relates to a patch for holding at least a portion of a tie on such attire or garments, such as a surgical gown, so that the tie desirably does not disconnect from the patch, and the patch does not disconnect from the gown and/or tear the gown.
As is generally known, garments, such as, for example only, sterile surgical gowns, are designed to greatly reduce, if not prevent, the transmission through the gown of liquids and biological contaminates which may become entrained therein. In surgical procedure environments, such liquid sources include the gown wearer's perspiration, patient liquids such as blood, salvia, perspiration, sputum, life support liquids such as plasma and saline, and so forth.
Many surgical gowns were originally made of cotton or linen and were sterilized prior to their use in the operating room. These gowns, however, permitted transmission or “strikethrough” of many of the liquids encountered in surgical procedures. These gowns were undesirable, if not unsatisfactory, because such “strikethrough” established a direct path for transmission of bacteria and other contaminates which wick to and from the wearer of the gown. Furthermore, the gowns were costly, and, of course, laundering and sterilization procedures were required before reuse.
One use, disposable surgical gowns have largely replaced linen and/or cotton surgical gowns. Gowns which partially wrap around a wearer, using gown ties positioned on the gown are particularly popular, due to comfort and adjustability of the gown. Such gowns usually open in the back, and have a set of ties. Some ties may hold the back of the gown together loosely, while other ties coupled to at least one back panel wrap around to at least a portion of a front of the gown which has a corresponding tie attached thereto. Securing the tie on the front of the gown has become problematic.
Due to the barrier material that is desirably provide on at least a portion of the front of the gown, it is undesirable to have a stitched seam to hold the front tie. Stitching creates openings into the barrier material. Further, a stitched seam, when the tie is tugged, may tear the gown, eliminating the desirable barrier provide on the front of the gown. Further, standard methods of heat sealing a front tie to the gown tends to damage the barrier properties on the front of the gown, weakening or causing a breach in the barrier material. Similarly, ultrasound techniques to couple a tie to the front of the gown have also damaged or effected the barrier material. Other mechanical coupling of the tie to the front of the gown, such as stapling, and so forth, also damage the gown and effect the barrier properties.
Adhesives have therefore been used to hold the front tie to the gown. Adhesives frequently fail, and the front tie therefore is pulled free from the front of the gown, causing the gown to open. There is a need to secure a tie to a front of a garment, such as a nonwoven gown, wherein the gown's barrier material is not easily breached, torn, weakened, or otherwise affected negatively. Further, there is a need to secure a tie to a front of a nonwoven gown so that the tie is firmly coupled to the nonwoven gown, to securely hold the gown in a closed position about a wearer. Such an apparatus to hold a tie needs to hold the tie securely, even if there is some strong tension on the tie. Such an apparatus would desirably be reasonably inexpensive, easy to use, and operate well with the gown's fabric and barrier material.